Apparatus for feeding,severing and folding labels and presenting same in succession for use



INVENTORS ATTORNEY SEVERING AND FOLDING LABELS 3 Sheets-Sheet l 16, 1959w. A. RAMSEY ET AL APPARATUS FOR FEEDING,

AND PRESENTING SAME IN SUCCESSION FOR USE Filed Feb. 13, 1967 WILLARD A.RAMSEY AARON G. COLN fl WM\\%\ Dec. 16, 1969 w. A. RAMSEY ET AL3,484,098

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING, SEVERING AND FOLDING LABELS AN PRESENTING SAME INSUCCESSION FOR USE Filed Feb. 1-3, 1967 3 Sheets-sheet 2 NQE mac

INVENTORS WILLARD A. RAMSEY AARON G. COLN M i fl M I -/L,

ATTORNEY Dec. 16. 1969 w. A. RAMSEY ET AL 3,484,098

APPARATUS FOR FEEDIIIGv SEVERING AND FOLDING LABELS AND PRESENTING SAMEIN SUCCESSION FOR USE Filed Feb. 15, 19s? 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEYUnited States Patent O 3,484,098 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING, SEVERING ANDFOLDING LABELS AND PRESENTING SAME IN SUCCESSION FOR USE Willard A.Ramsey and Aaron G. Coin, Greenville, S.C., assignors to Her MajestyUnderwear Company, Mauldin, S.C., a corporation of South Carolina FiledFeb. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 615,708 Int. Cl. B65h 45/18, 42/28; 326d 5/20US. Cl. 270-83 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus whichautomatically unwinds labels or the like from a supply roll and advancesthem and senses regions between blocks of indicia and severs thematerial at these points to produce individual separated labels;followed by the automatic folding of each individual label and theorderly presentation of labels, one at a time, to

a user at a work station. The removal of each individual label by theuser causes automatic recycling of the apparatus and the automaticpresentation of the next label.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned with theapplication of folded cloth labels to articles of apparel. Customarily,such labels carry data pertinent to the garment, such as size,manufacturers name, trademark, fiber content, and the like.

It has been the practice in the prior art for the sewing machineoperator, when applying each label to a garment, to first retrieve theloose end of the printed or woven continuou roll of labels and manuallyfold the label at the center of the printed data area thereon so thatportions of the data will be placed on the front and rear sides of thefolded labels. The label is manually severed from the roll of materialand its ends are inserted into the seam of a garment and sewn therein bythe sewing machine. The loose end of the ribbon on the roll is thendropped and must again be retrieved manually when another label is to beformed and applied to a garment. The above step are quite awkward andtime-consuming and the label attaching operation has been traditionallyinefficient and costly.

Certain prior art machines are known for feeding and severing labelproducing material for general application and for folding over the cutedges of labels. The prior art also reveals photoelectric sensing meansused in connection with label dispensing and cutting. However, none ofthese prior art teachings are suitable for accomplishing the objectivesof the present invention in the automatic feeding, severing, folding andindividual presentation of labels to a worker with the printed indiciathereon Y accurately located.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention takes advantage of a simplifiedelectronic control circuit which may be powered from the sewing machinepower switch. The control circuit is constructed to automaticallyinitiate the feeding of printed or woven labels in continuous ribbonform from a supply roll. The ribbon contains blocks of printed indiciaand opaque regions spaced uniformly and equidistantly between theindicia blocks. A photoelectric scanner senses the presence of theopaque regions and disables the feeding means and while the ribbon is atrest initiates simultaneously the operation of severing and foldingmechanisms. The ribbon is severed at the center of each opaque region toform the individual labels. The folding means engages each severed labelin turn and folds it squarely in the I 3,484,098 Patented Dec. 16, 1969middle of two portions of the printed indicia block so that one part ofthe indicia will appear on the front side of the folded label during useand another part on the rear side of the label. The label folding meansadvances each folded label to a holding station where the label ispresented to the sewing machine operator for easy grasping and removalfrom the apparatus. The action of removing each label from the apparatusoperates a switch in the circuit means which causes immediate recyclingof the apparatus and the presentation of the next following label forremoval. The above sequence of operation reduces considerably the lengthof time required by the operator in applying each label to the garment,as should be obvious. Once the apparatus is set up for operation, thesewing machine operator need only grasp and remove each folded label atthe work station and apply it to the garment scam in the usual mannerand in so removing each label, the next succeeding label will beautomatically presented by the apparatus in proper folded condition foruse entirely automatically. The invention eliminates entirely theseveral awkward manual steps ordinarily involved in the prior art andthe only manual step remaining is the act of removing the label from theapparatus while the label is held for convenient grasping and inprefolded condition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE 1 is a vertical longitudinalsection taken substantially centrally through the apparatus with partsin elevation, the label cutting and folding means being in retracted orinactive positions;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIGURE 1 on anenlarged scale showing the cutting and folding means in the activepositions;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view taken approximately on line4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of the apparatus looking at the sideopposite to that being viewed in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 6 is an electrical schematic diagram of the control circuitemployed in the apparatus;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of plural labels before severing andfolding;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a single label after severing andfolding; and

FIGURE 9 is a further perspective view of a single label applied to theseam of a garment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings, wherein likenumerals designate like parts, the numeral 15 designates the frameworkor support structure of the apparatus which consists essentially of apair of spaced opposed vertical side plates 16, suitably rigidlyinterconnected as by cross members 17. As illustrated, the apparatusforms a slender upstanding mechanical unit which may be mounted directlyon the sewing machine so that the labels will be presented to theoperator for removal at a most convenient location. The electroniccontrol chassis, to be described, housing the required circuitry and thesolenoid air valve, are mounted under the sewing machine table to avoidobstructing the work area.

The mechanical unit or section of the apparatus further comprises anupper horizontal shallow guide passage 18, formed by a pair of plates 19and 20 fixedly mounted upon the tops of the side plates 16. The guidepassage 18 is dimensioned to receive and guide a continuous cloth ribbonor strip 21, fed from a supply roll 22 freely rotatably mounted upon asupport spindle 23 suitably supported above the mechanical unit. Theguide passage 18 maintains the ribbon 21 substantially flat and smoothduring its passage through the guide.

Adjacent to the discharge end of the passage 18 and immediatelytherebelow are a pair of gripping feed rolls 24 and 25, suitablysupported on shafts which in turn are supported by the side plates 16.The rolls 24 and 25 are disposed between the side plates 16, as shown.The axis of the feed roll 24 is fixed with respect to the side plates16, whereas the roll 25 is shiftable laterally and urged into grippingrelationship with the roll 24 by a pair of adjustable tension springs26, connected with adjusting screws 27, mounted upon a rigid end wallportion 28 of the apparatus framework. By this means, the tension orcontact pressure between the feed rolls may be varied. As best shown inFIGURE 5, the feed roll 24 is positively driven through a pulley 29 onone end of its shaft and disposed outwardly of one side plate 16. Thispulley is powered by an endless belt 30 driven from another pulley 31powered from the armature shaft of a motor 32 suitably supported on theapparatus framework and intermittently driven in a manner to bedescribed. The feed roll 25 is unpowered.

Immediately below the two feed rolls is a reciprocating knife 33 and acoacting blade or die 34, the latter being carried by an adjusting plate35 having vertical adjusting slots 36, whereby the height of the die 34may be ac curately regulated. The knife 33 is fixedly secured to a head37 on the piston rod 38 of an expansible and retractable aircylinder-piston unit 39, fixedly secured to a horizontal support plate40 of the apparatus unit, between the side plates 16. Thecylinder-piston unit 39 has an air inlet fitting 41 connected thereinnear one end of the unit, receiving compressed air from a line 42located outwardly of one side plate 16. The exhaust fitting 43 of thecylinderpiston unit 39 communicates with an exhaust line 44 exteriorlyof the adjacent side plate 16 as shown in FIG- URE 5.

A vertically extending flattened guide tube 45 is disposed immediatelybelow the knife 33 and coacting die and is carried by a suitable bracketplate 46. The upper end of the guide tube 45 is preferably flared asshown at 47 so that the ribbon 21 may readily enter the same and beguided vertically.

At the lower end of the guide tube 45, there is positioned a somewhatsimilar horizontal guide tube 48, carried by a mounting bracket 49. Theguide tube 48 has a central slot 50 in its bottom wall, extendinglongitudinally to accommodate an upstanding lug 51 on the piston rod 52of a second extensible and retractable cylinder-piston unit 53 alsodisposed between the side plates 16 and suitably supported. The lug 51carries a horizontal labelpushing and folding blade 54 which is fiat andthis blade enters the horizontal guide tube 48 during the operation ofthe invention to advance each folded label to the sewing machineoperator. The guide passage afforded by the tube 48 is sized toaccommodate the blade 54 and the folded label with only the necessaryclearance around the blade, so that the label will be maintained flatand smooth. In the retracted position, FIGURE 1, the blade 54 issubstantially enclosed and protected by a shield 55.

The air inlet fitting 56 of the cylinder-piston unit 53 receives itscompressed air from the previously-described line 42-, and there is aT-fitting 57 in this line communicating with a pressurized main line 58so that both units 39 and 53 may receive compressed air at their rear orinlet ends at the proper time.

The unit 53 also has an exhaust fitting 59 at its forward endcommunicating with an exhaust pipe or conduit 60, FIGURE 5, connectedwith a T-fitting 61 in the previously-mentioned exhaust line 44, wherebyboth cylinderpiston units may be exhausted.

Suitably mounted upon the plate 19 is a photoelectric cell or detectionelement 62 arranged to scan one side of the ribbon 21 as it passesthrough the passage 18. Immediately below the passage on the plate 20 isa coacting light source 63 for directing light across the passage 18 andthrough the ribbon 21 to the photoelectric cell 62, the latter beingcovered by a shield 64.

Referring to FIGURE 7, the ribbon or strip 21 which is made of wovencloth has uncolore'd relatively translucent characteristics except forrelatively small blackened opaque areas 65 thereon which occur atregular intervals. Between the opaque areas 65, the ribbon bears printedor woven indicia blocks 66 and these indicia blocks are alsoequidistantly spaced and occur at regular intervals along the length ofthe continuous ribbon 21. Each indicia block 66 may conveniently bedivided into two indicia areas 66a and 66b, said areas separated by asmall unprinted area 67; as will be explained, the folding of eachseparated label 68, FIGURE 8, occurs at the folding line 67 or unprintedarea. By virtue of this arrangement, each folded label has one of theindicia areas 66a and 66b on each side thereof.

At the discharge end of the horizontal guide tube 48, the same carries apair of opposed toothed somewhat resilie'nt label gripping blades orjaws 69 which frictionally engage the upper and lower sides of eachlabel 68 as the same is advanced by the pushing and folding blade 54 tothe position for grasping and removal by the sewing machine operator.The jaws 69 do not interfere with the removal of the label by means ofthe fingers but they steady the label andprevent its prematuredisplacement on the blade 54. A normally closed switch 70 is mounted onthe lower side of the horizontal guide tube 48 and has an actuator arm71 which may enter the slot 50 and bear against the bottom of the label68, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. This serves to hold open the normallyclosed switch 70 until the label 68 is removed from the blade 54. Aconnector 72 is mounted upon the rear end of the apparatus at aconvenient location for connection with the electronic control chassisbeneath the sewing table, now to be described in connection with FIGURE6.

Referring to FIGURE 6, power is applied to the control circuits of theapparatus from the sewing machine power switch, not shown, across theprimary 73 of transformer 74; this may be either volts or 220 volts 60cycle. The secondary 75 of transformer 74 provides 24 volts AC which isrectified by the bridge 76 and applied through a switch 77 to onewinding 32 of the motor, not shown, through a wire 78. The samerectified voltage is applied to a solenoid air valve 79 through wire 78and to the anode of a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) 86. The cyclefull wave rectified voltage from the bridge 76 is also filtered by theaction of a resistance 81 and capacitor 82 and regulated to 22 volts byZener diode 83. This supplies stable voltages for the trigger circuits,to be explained, while the unfiltered DC is applied directly to themotor and solenoid circuits.

When power is applied to the apparatus with no ribbon in the passage 18or when the light transmitting part of the ribbon is beneath thephotocell 62, the light source 63 illuminates and energizes photocell62, firing SCR 84. The motor winding 32 is energized thereby and themotor runs and will continue to run until photocell 62 is darkened by ablack or opaque area 65. The motor is connected by belt 30 with the feedroll 24, as previously explained.

When the ribbon 21 or strip is inserted into the guide passage 18 andpushed through until it is engaged by feed rolls 24 and 25, the ribbonis fed downwardly through the guide tube 45 until a black area 65 isread by the photocell 62. The black areas 65, evenly spaced between theprinted data blocks 66, provide a step feed control and activate thecircuits to stop the motor 32 by removing the trigger signal from SCR84; and energize the solenoid air valve 79 by the voltage rise at theanode of SCR 84, applied through capacitor 85 to the gate of SCR 86.

When this occurs, air pressure is applied to air cylinderpiston units 39and 53 causing the following action. Knife 33 moves forwardly relativeto die 34 and cuts the ribbon or strip 21 which has been properlystep-fed and positioned by the action of the black area 65 under thephotocell 62. The pushing and folding blade 54 travels forwardlycontacting the severed label 68 at the fold line 67 or between theindicia areas 66a and 66b. The blade 54 carries the severed label intothe flat guide tube 48, thereby causing folding of the labelsubstantially on the line 67. The folded end of the label 68 is carriedbeyond the end of the tube 48, FIGURE 2, and beyond the gripping jaws69, as shown in FIGURE 2.

When capacitor 85 has reached full charge through resistance 87, thepositive trigger voltage is no longer felt at SCR 86 and the solenoidair valve 79 is de-energized, returning both cylinder-piston units 39and 53 to their retracted positions shown in FIGURE 1. Thus, both units39 and 53 are automatically extended and retracted in unison during theoperation of the apparatus.

Each label 68 is held securely in the folded condition and protrudingbeyond the end of tube 48 by the gripping elements 69. Each labelremains in this position until needed by the sewing machine operator,who merely grasps the label between the fingers and removes it in thefolded condition for placement in the seam 88 indicated in FIGURE 9. Asshown, the cut ends of each label are sewn into the seam 88 while thefolded end 67 remains free of attachment to the garment. As shown inFIGURE 2, the folded label 68 also serves by engagement with theactuator 71 to hold open the normally closed contact of switch 70.

When the operator removes the label 68 from the extended blade 54, thecontact of switch 70 closes, FIG- URES l and 6, making contact with thegrounded tube. Transistor 89 (which is biased into conduction throughresistance 90 when switch 70 is open) is thereby turned off and thecollector rises to +22 volts. A positive pulse is thereby appliedthrough capacitor 91 and diode 92 to trigger SCR 84 and to close thecircuit for the winding 32, starting the motor, not shown, which runs bythis means until capacitor 91 has reached full charge through resistance93, at which time this positive voltage is no longer felt at the gate ofSCR 8 4. However, during this relatively short run time, the ribbon hasmoved so that the black area or spot 65 is no longer under the readinghead or photocell 62. The photocell now sensing light maintains the gateof SCR 84 positive and the motor 32 runs until the next black area 85 isread by the photocell 62, starting the cycle of operation over again.

Further, as depicted in FIGURE 6, the power supply circuit contains asignal light 94 which is activated when power switch 77 is closed. Thegate of SCR 84 is grounded through a variable resistance 95. Anothervariable resistance 96 is connected in series with the light source 63so that the intensity of the latter may be varied. A power buss 97interconnects power line 98 with the several elements 62, 63 and 90, asshown. Other elements of the circuitry, not specifically enumerated, areconventional.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scopeof the subjoined claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for dispensing labels comprising means to feed and guidelabels that are in continuous strip form, said continuous strip havinguniformly spaced indicia blocks and detectable areas for the respectiveindicia blocks, means for detecting the detectable areas of the strip asthe strip is being fed and guided, means to sever the strip for formingindividual labels, each label bearing one of the indicia blocks, meansto engage each severed individual label substantially at itslongitudinal center and to fold the label transversely upon its self andto advance the folded label to a delivery point where the label may begrasped and removed, mechanisms for operating the severing means andsaid folding and advancing means when said strip is at rest, and controlcircuit means for said apparatus connected with the detecting means andoperable to interrupt the operation of the feed means and initiate theoperation of the severing means and folding and advancing means when adetectable area is detected.

2. Apparatus for dispensing labels to a machine operator according toclaim 1, and an apparatus recycling switch including a switch actuatorin the path of each folded label at said delivery point, said actuatorengaged by the label at the delivery point and the removal of the labelfrom the apparatus causing said switch to initiate recycling of theapparatus, said switch connected in the control circuit means.

3. Apparatus for dispensing labels according to claim 2, and holding jawmeans on the apparatus at the delivery point and engaging each label tostabilize the same until it is removed.

4. Apparatus for dispensing labels comprising a guide passage for plurallabels in continuous strip form adapted to maintain the stripsubstantially flat, said strip having uniformly spaced printed indiciablocks and intervening uniformly spaced detectable areas, aphotoelectric sensing device on the apparatus for sensing the passage ofthe detectable areas through the guide passage, feed roll means engagingsaid strip and drawing the same through the guide passage from a supplysource, a severing mechanism on one side of the feed roll means to seversaid strip respective to each detectable area and thereby formindividual labels each having a printed indicia block thereon, a guidedevice having a passage and a coacting label folding and advancing bladearranged substantially at right angles to the label at the time ofsevering, said blade being shiftable to push the folded label to a usestation where the label may be grasped and removed from the blade, meansto operate the severing mechanism and said blade substantiallysimultaneously, and control circuit means operably associated with saidsensing device and with said means to operate said severing mechanismand said blade to coordinate the operation of the feed roll means,severing mechanism and said blade.

5. Apparatus for dispensing labels according to claim 4, wherein thesevering means comprises a reciprocating knife and a coacting diearranged substantially at right angles to the direction of feed of thestrip, and said means to operate the severing mechanism and bladesubstantially simultaneously comprising a pair of fluid-pressureoperated extensible and retractable units.

6. Apparatus for dispensing labels according to claim 5, wherein thefeed roll means are between said guide passage and said severingmechainsm, and including power means under control of the circuit meansto activate the feed roll means intermittently.

7. Apparatus for dispensing labels according to claim 6, and inadditional guide device for said strip arranged between the severingmechanism and said blade substantially at right angles to the blade.

8. Apparatus for delivering folded cloth labels individually comprisingmeans to feed cloth labels in strip form from a supply roll and to severthe strip at predetermined points to separate individual labelstherefrom, each separated label hanging substantially freely andvertically when severed from the strip, a relatively stationaryflattened straight guide channel arranged substantially at right anglesto each separated label with its rear end disposed immediately forwardlyof each separated label and substantially at the longitudinal center ofthe label, and a reciprocatory fiat label folding and delivery bladearranged immediately rearwardly of each separated label substantially atright angles thereto and rearwardly of and in alignment with theflattened guide channel, said blade adapted to move forwardlysubstantially simultaneously with the severing of each label from thestrip so that the leading end of the blade immediately engages eachseparated label near its longitudinal center and folds each labeltransversely into substantially two equal portions, said two equalportions lying above and below said blade and being carried forwardly bythe blade into and through the flattened guide channel, the leading endof the blade delivering the folded bight portion of each label to apoint in advance of the forward end of the guide channel, the coactingblade and guide channel being sufficiently long to contact and supporteach folded label over the entire surface area thereof, power meansconnected with said blade to move it forwardly and rearwardly, normallyclosed switch means mounted on the guide channel, in proximity to theforward end thereof, and adapted to be actuated by the label carried bythe blade, and circuit means connected between said switch means andsaid power means, whereby when the blade is in the forwardmost deliveryposition the switch means is open whereby the blade remains in theforwardmost position until a label is removed therefrom, whereupon theswitch means is actuated to close the circuit means thereby energizingthe power means to return the blade to the rearward position.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said label folding and deliveryblade is of approximately the width of each label and the internal widthof the flattened guide channel is only slightly greater than the widthof the blade so that the blade and guide channel will coact to maintaineach label in a substantially flat and smooth condition during thefolding and delivery operation.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, and yielding gripping jaws on the forwardend of the guide channel to hold said two portions of each folded labelagainst the blade when the blade is in the forwardmost delivery positionwith each label.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said power means is an extensibleand retractable device including a, plunger which underlies the bladeand moves beneath said flattened guide channel, and an element securingthe blade rigidly to the plunger, said guide channel having a slotformed through its bottom wall and receiving the element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,071,853 9/1913 Young 53l202,742,282 4/1956 Ervin et al. 270-61 3,171,646 3/1965 Melton 27081 X3,361,021 1/1968 Toth 83-358 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner P. V.WILLIAMS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 83-203, 358, 365

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,484,098 December 16, 1969 Willard A. Ramsey et a1.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading to the printed specification, lines 6 and 7, "assignorsto Her Majesty Underwear Company, Mauldin, S. C. a corporation of SouthCarolina" should read assignors to Her Majesty Industries, Inc. Mauldin,S. C. a corporation of South Carolina (SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer

